Spanish GP 2020

AUGUST 15, 2020

Qualifying Report - Lockout

Lewis Hamilton, Spanish GP 2020
© Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.

By Dan Knutson

Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas will fill the front row of the grid for the Spanish Grand Prix. It was the seventh time in eight years that Mercedes has locked out the front row for the race in Spain. It was Hamilton's 92nd pole in Formula 1 and his fourth out of six races this year.

The line-up for the weekend was: Mercedes – Hamilton and Bottas; Ferrari – Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc; Red Bull Honda – Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon; McLaren Renault – Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris; Renault – Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon; AlphaTauri Honda – Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly; Racing Point Mercedes – Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll; Alfa Romeo Ferrari – Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi; Haas Ferrari – Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen; Williams Mercedes – George Russell and Nicolas Latifi.

Hamilton was quickest in Free Practice 3 with a time of 1:17.222.

QUALIFYING 1

The Mercedes drivers headed out relatively early in Q1 which lasted 18 minutes. Bottas clocked a 1:17.415 and Hamilton beat that with a 1:17.037. They were first and second until Racing Point's Perez and Stroll grabbed second and third.

So now Bottas was fourth ahead of Verstappen and Sainz.

When there were three minutes remaining in Q1, Russell was 15th and on the cutoff line. Kvyat was 14th and Grosjean was 16th. The top five were covered by one second.

And then almost every driver headed back out. But the Racing Point drivers stayed in the pits.

The five drivers who were eliminated at the end of Q1 were: Magnussen, Grosjean, Russell, Latifi and Giovinazzi.

The fastest 15 drivers who moved on to Q2 were: Hamilton, Perez, Verstappen, Bottas, Leclerc, Stroll, Gasly, Albon, Sainz, Vettel, Norris, Ricciardo, Kvyat, Ocon and Raikkonen.

QUALIFYING 2

The question was: would any driver gamble and try to get into Q1 using the medium compound Pirelli tires?

But both Mercedes drivers came out on the softs. Bottas turned a 1:16.152 and Hamilton crossed the line at 1:16.013 on those tires.

Nobody else tried the mediums.

Verstappen grabbed third ahead of Sainz, Perez and Stroll.

Tenth and on the bubble with five minutes to go was Ricciardo, and Albon was ninth while Vettel was 11th.

All 15 drivers were now in the pits.

With three minutes remaining everybody except the top three headed out.

The five drivers who were eliminated at the end of Q2 were: Vettel, Kvyat, Ricciardo, Raikkonen and Ocon.

The fastest 10 drivers who moved on to Q3 were: Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Stroll, Gasly, Sainz, Perez, Leclerc, Albon and Norris. The latter had beat Vettel by 0.002 of a second to grab the final spot in the top 10.

QUALIFYING 3

Stroll and Perez were the first out in the 12 minute session.

Stroll's lap was a 1:16.589 and Perez set a 1:16.568.

Bottas grabbed a 15.643, but Hamilton slid into the lead at 1:15.584.

Verstappen took third ahead of Perez, Stroll, Norris, Leclerc, Albon, Sainz and Gasly.

And then it was back to the garages for all 10 driver to prepare for one last set of runs.

And with just over three minutes remaining they headed back out.

Bottas clocked a 1:15.659. And Hamilton clocked a 1:16.030.

So Hamilton was on pole with Bottas second. Verstappen was third ahead of Perez, Stroll, Albon, Sainz, Norris, Leclerc and Gasly.